The first annual Environmental Futures Fair at the Jordan Lake Visitor Assistance Center – April 27, 2019
JORDAN LAKE DAM USACE
Hosted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the fair was devised to bring awareness to outdoor careers and volunteer opportunities.
WILDLIFE
This sunbathing Brown Snake and Green Anole were not part of the fair. Bob spotted them with his eagle eye as we walked from the tailrace up to the visitor center. The anole is saying, “this is my territory” by extending his pink dewlap. He will also use the dewlap display to romance females.
FAIR VIEW
We got a peek at the fair tents through a dazzling patch of iris.
EXHIBITS
Bob guessed correctly that the yellow powder inside a plastic bottle was pollen. Ranger Leah holds a beautiful and recently-fed corn snake. She informed us that they eat previously-frozen mice and that she would not have wanted to bring a hungry reptile to the fair. We showed her a picture of the snake we saw on the rocks and she flipped through her herpetology book to verify its identity.
VISITOR CENTER OVERLOOK
One of our favorite spots, shady with a great view and a fitting reward for stairmastering up to the visitors center.
JUST IN CASE
The corps has posted an informative sign to advise visitors on evacuation protocol. One can only guess at what events might constitute an emergency: A break in the dam. A nuclear meltdown at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant just 6 1/2 miles away. Forest fire. Foreign invasion. Zombies. The possibilities are endless.